The Professionals

Posted by: acad tsunami on 09 May 2007




One of the highlights of my week was watching the gratuitous violence and chauvinism in the UK TV series 'The Professionals' which started way back in 1977 when I was a silly teenager. I have just bought the first series which contains 14 episodes for £14 from Borders - what a bargain! I thought I would have a good nostalgia fest and watched the first two episodes last night. It is fascinating to see some then unknown actors appear along side Bodie (who grew up into Judge John Deed)and Doyle (who didn't grow up at all)for example in the fist one I watched last night there was Pamela Anderson (who grew up to marry Billy Connelly)who gets slapped by Bodie and has her blouse ripped open and in the second edition there is a deadly International terrorist played by er ....'Trigger' from 'Only Fools and Horses'!!

The writing is dire, the plots are laughable, and the acting is a joke. They are full of mistakes (the terrorist fires 3 rounds at Cowley the head of CI5 we see the 3 rounds hit a door in less than a second - achieving a 3 inch group at a 100 metres - with a bolt action rifle - yeah right!!)The real SAS must have been livid at how they are portrayed. So total dross then and I can't wait to see the rest. Winker Is this a mid-life crises?
Posted on: 09 May 2007 by Diode100
You need to see the spoof version, The BullSh*tters, to really appreciate the original, well worth searching out, if only for the training session on how to get into a car, a la professionals.
Posted on: 09 May 2007 by Rasher
I can understand your over-excitement, but I think you mean Pamela Stephenson. Winker

Personally, I'm half way through watching the complete works of TJ Hooker with William Shatner. I was given the complete set of DVD's for Christmas. I blimmin' love it. It's so cheesy, we laugh our asses off.
Posted on: 09 May 2007 by acad tsunami
quote:
Originally posted by Rasher:
I can understand your over-excitement, but I think you mean Pamela Stephenson. Winker



You are quite right, Pamela Stephenson it is (and I have just finished reading 'Billy' her biography of Billy Connolly Roll Eyes.

TJ Hooker used to do that podgey waddling running thing didn't he? Long gone were days when he could be beamed to where he wanted to go , boldly or otherwise. There was a cute blond in that show too if I remember?
Posted on: 09 May 2007 by JWM
quote:
Originally posted by Rasher:
I can understand your over-excitement, but I think you mean Pamela Stephenson. Winker

Personally, I'm half way through watching the complete works of TJ Hooker with William Shatner. I was given the complete set of DVD's for Christmas. I blimmin' love it. It's so cheesy, we laugh our asses off.


I am interested by the clever use of the word 'works' in the above post... A wonderful example, if I am correct, of that rare particle of the English language, the imaginative posterior.

Big Grin James
Posted on: 09 May 2007 by acad tsunami
quote:
Originally posted by JWM:
[QUOTE]

A wonderful example, if I am correct, of that rare particle of the English language, the imaginative posterior.



Phwoar! I bet that Heather Locklear had an imaginative posterior!

Posted on: 09 May 2007 by Deane F
quote:
Originally posted by acad tsunami:

One of the highlights of my week was watching the gratuitous violence and chauvinism in the UK TV series 'The Professionals'


Ahem, you've attacked the culture of violence sold to the rest of the world by the US in another thread.

Is there something that you find acceptable about British violence or something...?
Posted on: 09 May 2007 by BigH47
quote:
we see the 3 rounds hit a door in less than a second - achieving a 3 inch group at a 100 metres - with a bolt action rifle - yeah right!!


Same bloke who had shot JFK?

Chauvinism is still alive any one watch Boston Legal complete with James T Kirk, Hooker, Shatner.

Howard
Posted on: 09 May 2007 by Melnobone
The Professionals is brilliant. Big Grin

In a terrible way. Roll Eyes
Posted on: 09 May 2007 by acad tsunami
quote:
Originally posted by Deane F:
quote:
Originally posted by acad tsunami:

One of the highlights of my week was watching the gratuitous violence and chauvinism in the UK TV series 'The Professionals'


Ahem, you've attacked the culture of violence sold to the rest of the world by the US in another thread.

Is there something that you find acceptable about British violence or something...?


As I said this was back in 1976 when I was a silly teenager. Winker
Posted on: 09 May 2007 by PJT
quote:
e or something...?


As I said this was back in 1976 when I was a silly teenager. Winker[/QUOTE]

Yep...
Posted on: 10 May 2007 by Jono 13
quote:
Originally posted by Diode100:
You need to see the spoof version, The BullSh*tters, to really appreciate the original, well worth searching out, if only for the training session on how to get into a car, a la professionals.


"where are the fast cars and walkie-talkies?"

"here's 2 bus passes and a bag of 10p's"

Bonus house points for their names.

Jono
Posted on: 10 May 2007 by Roy T
The Professionals well half of them anyway has ditched the secret service and is now a High Court judge - not too bad for a curly haired state directed killer from the 70s.
Posted on: 10 May 2007 by Diode100
quote:
Originally posted by Roy T:
The Professionals well half of them anyway has ditched the secret service and is now a High Court judge - not too bad for a curly haired state directed killer from the 70s.


The Bodie actor went on to make a very good Jack the Ripper film with Michael Caine, and a reputedly accurate SAS film, then he disapeared. He was once in the great Liverpool 1960's band The Mojo's.

The other one, I've never found convincing in any of the roles he has subsequently played.
Posted on: 10 May 2007 by Bob McC
Bodie ended up a doctor in the Bill. He joined the Mojos after their only hit in 1964. They broke up a year later.
Posted on: 10 May 2007 by Diode100
quote:
Originally posted by bob mccluckie:
Bodie ended up a doctor in the Bill. He joined the Mojos after their only hit in 1964. They broke up a year later.


A doctor on The Bill ! was that just in the storyline, or was he on standby for the cast ?

The mojos - Everything's Alright ? I remenber seeing them on Ready Steady Go, very sharp combo.
Posted on: 10 May 2007 by Bob McC
His most recent TV appearance was in August 2002 as Dr Peter Allen in an episode of The Bill.
Posted on: 10 May 2007 by Reginald Halliday


Proper law-enforcers. Shut it!
Posted on: 10 May 2007 by Melnobone
Good cars as well...

Posted on: 10 May 2007 by Mark Dunn
Now your bringing back memories Melnobone. I had a 3 litre Granny like that in the late 70's. Lousy anchors but pretty good otherwise.

Best Regards,
Mark Dunn
Posted on: 14 May 2007 by Fisbey
Bonehead and Foyle.
Posted on: 14 May 2007 by Rasher
Funny how you never see stacks of empty cardboard boxes in the street anymore
Posted on: 14 May 2007 by acad tsunami
I have watched 8 of these now and they are all dreadful (the last one had a bank robber played by David Suchet who grew up to be that well known detective Hercule Poirot!
Posted on: 14 May 2007 by Rico
save yourself the pain. give them to the local charity shop. at least it would put an end to your whining.

they're *entertainment*. one man's meat is another mans poison. perhaps you'd be better off with a boxed set up 'upstairs downstairs'.

I think it's more likely you're secretly enjoying each and every episode; you're simply not secure enough to admit it.

cheers
Posted on: 14 May 2007 by acad tsunami
Rico,

Either you have not read this thread or you are an idiot? Which is it?

This is what I said 'So total dross then and I can't wait to see the rest. Winker Is this a mid-life crises?

Learn to read!
Posted on: 14 May 2007 by Guido Fawkes


One of my favourite police series from my youth. It was the series that metamorphosed in to The Avengers in which Hendry played the lead as Dr David Keel with his side kick the rather shady Mr John Steed. Steed, of course, became less shady and took the lead with his side kicks Venus Smith (played by Julie Stevens) or Dr. Martin King (played by Jon Rollason) - they were replaced by Cathy Gale, Emma Peel and Tara King ..... I think I preferred the Avengers to the Professionals, but both are far better than the dross we get these days.